A new study finds that "fat shaming" doesn't help motivate people to lose weight. In fact, "fat shaming," which is discrimination against overweight and obese people, causes individuals to gain more weight. The discrimination involved in "fat shaming" includes harassment, disrespect and poor service.
Researchers from the University College London analyzed data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, following 2,944 British adults over 50 for four years. The subjects were asked if they felt discrimination because of their weight, age, gender or race.
Researchers found that five percent of the subjects reported weight discrimination linked to negative experiences. Some subjects reported being teased, harassed and receiving poor treatment from doctors and poor service when shopping.
The study published in the journal Obesity, found that subjects that experienced discrimination every day because of their weight gained an average of two pounds. The subjects who did not suffer from discrimination lost an average of 1.6 pounds.
"Our results show that weight discrimination does not encourage weight loss, and suggest that it may even exacerbate weight gain," Sarah Jackson, one of the study's authors, said in a statement. "Previous studies have found that people who experience discrimination report comfort eating. Stress responses to discrimination can increase appetite, particularly for unhealthy, energy-dense food."
The researchers say that previous studies have linked discrimination to comfort eating. The stress caused after being discriminated against results in increased appetites. Those who feel bad about their bodies may even avoid exercising altogether.
"Our study clearly shows that weight discrimination is part of the obesity problem and not the solution," says co-author Jane Wardle, director of the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Centre at University College London (UCL).
It's good to keep in mind that the results were from a survey and not actual experimental data, but with the recent proliferation of Internet trolling and bullying, this data is still good to prove that fat shaming is a harmful form of discrimination and should not be trivialized.
